Forced Family 3

F O U R

>Long over due, I'm sorry. Just a bit longer before I'm back to a decent schedule, I'm moving. All the love, Emma :)<

Annika resigns herself to sitting on the bleachers as she keeps a close watch on Thomas. He's huddled with his team having the final meeting before the game starts.

Anticipation settles in the room, the gravely voice of the announcer overpowers the conversation that floats around the bleachers as the buzzer demands the game to begin.

Wrapping her arms around herself, Annika keeps her tears at bay as she watches Thomas play basketball. He's noticably shorter then the rest of his team, Annika's face crumpling when the other kids played around him as if he didn't exist.

Her heart hurt seeing the pained expression on Thomas' face when he realizes that his own teammate wouldn't pass him the ball even though he was wide open.

Groaning softly she places her head in her hands wishing for the stupid game to be over. She also wished for a million dollars, her father to get out of prison, and for her brother come home.

Seeing Nike's next to her boots, Annika lifts her head smiling softly at Reagan that had approached her with two bottles of water, "Here," She takes one thanking him, "He's good, I wish they'd give him a chance,"

Nodding at his words, "Yeah, it'd make him feel better,"

Reagan frowns, "Why don't we get ice cream after this?" Annika can't help but close her eyes at the idea of laughing in a booth with Reagan with her little brother knowing he was safe and happy for a night, yet she knows Nikole would have the cops sent after her labeling her a runaway.

She only had so many chances left before she was ripped away from Thomas unable to protect him. Nikole made that very clear.

"I'd love too," Her words don't match her tone or face, Regan noticing this as he bites his bottom lip nodding, "But," he muses, she smiles softly, "But, I have to get Thomas home. Our mother is a bit protective." Saying the words with nothing more than an unpromising smile, Annika attempts to undersell the word protective.

Reagan's eyes flash a look of hurt, his friendly expression darkens, "Is that why she hurts you?"

Annika flinches at the question raising an eyebrow, "What?!"

"Why don't you trust me enough to tell me? You trust me enough to fuck me but not admit to something so obvious-"

"Fuck you!" Annika growls standing from the bleachers, she storms towards the coach tapping his arm, "If they're not going to play with him, pull him, we have to go home." Reagan stands as well hurrying after her, Annika apologizing to Thomas as tears well in his eyes once the coach waves him off the court.

"W-why are we leaving?" Annika takes his hand dragging him to the bus stop, "Anna!" Reagan calls following her, "Leave me alone!" She demands towards the boy, he groans, "I didn't mean what I said!" He shouts half ass apologizing, Thomas winces hearing his angered tone along with Annika's panicked one.

He tighens the grip she had on his hand, "I-I didn't 'wanna play tonight," Annika sniffles offering Thomas a watery, thankful, smile at his softly spoken words of assurance that he wasn't upset at her.

Setting on the bench offered by the bus stop, Annika's head drops to her hands as she desperately attempts to cough covering her oncoming sobs.

Thomas stands next to her wordlessly, he's digging the toe of his shoe into the dirt on the sidewalk before stomping on the crack next to it. Reaching over to tap Annika's arm he points to the crack, "b-break m-mums back," Annika laughs through her tears nodding, "D-do one for me," Thomas grins jumping on the crack as many times as he could before the bus pulls up.

Exhaling, Annika hands the driver the cash leading Thomas towards the back of the bus. Her eyes glaze the normally empty bus seeing an older woman at the front wrapped in a tan pettycoat, a young couple love-dazed in each others arms as they stare longingly out the window, and one man in the back stuffed in a coat all to himself.

His eyes are forward, eyes icy and mindless.

Bidding him a small hello as the siblings take the seat next to him across the asile, the man glances over offering a smile, "Bit late to be out,"

Annika picks up on the irish accent from the man, "Yeah, he had a game," Gesturing towards Thomas the boy grins pointing to his jersey, "B-basketball!"

The man chuckles, "Did you get to play a lot?"

"N-no," Thomas admits lowering his head, Annika frowns ruffling his hair as the two sit in silence watching the street lights pass casting shadows on the dimly lit bus.

At the second to last stop, on eighth street, the driver stands groaning once the couple and older woman get off, "Sorry guys, this was my last stop."

Annika scoffs, "I paid for tenth!" She urges, Thomas rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he wearily scans the area, the driver shrugs poining to the map on the bus, "Clearly states my last street is eighth."

The man across from them clears his throat, "I-I live a half block away, I don't mind to drive you to tenth."

Annika presses her thin lips together in a supressed smile, "T-thank you but no, we-we'll be fine walking it." Pulling Thomas behind her she glares at the bus driver, "My next ride should be free then, you over charged."

Dragging his feet, Thomas pauses yawning, he lifts his arms over his head stretching, Annika mumbles an apology, "I'm sorry buddy, not much farther-"

The man from the bus pulls up next to them in his car, he rolls down the passenger side window gesturing to the backseat, "I don't mind, I have to go see my friend anyway."

Glancing back at Thomas in his close to sleep state, Annika whimpers nervously agreeing. She opens the back door helping Thomas in first following after him. Once the two are buckled, the man pulls from the curb, Annika jolting when the locks click automatically.

The ride is silent aside from the radio, Thomas laying his head on her shoulder closing his eyes, "Where do you live on tenth street?" The man questions, "The Coral Flats," Annika lies knowing to never give a stranger your real address.

"Ah, not far from my friend," The man acknowledges, Annika chews her bottom lip watching the houses pass from the car.

When the SUV reaches tenth street, Annika places her hand on the doorhandle watching the man pass the Hailey house apartments, she's growing concerned as the cars speed hasn't slowed and the coral apartments only sat a couple feet away.

"If you have a car, w-why'd you take the bus?" Annika shakily questions when the Coral Apartments pass her view.

The man clears his throat, "I told you I'm going to pick up my friend-"

"W-where does your friend live?" Her voice cracks, tightening her jaw she sees tenth street passing by her with the nagging paranoia she wouldn't see it again.

"Not far from Hailey apartments, I can drop you on my way back."

Annika's blood runs cold as she exhales in fear, "I-I told you coral." She meets the icy eyes in the rearview mirror, "Ah, sorry love. I forgot you lied to me,"

"W-who are you?"

Slowing at a red light the man grabs the rearview mirror centering it on the two in the backseat, the corners of his lips lift in a smirk, "Call me Papa, we're going to get Daddy."

>You guys. I don't think you understand how quick I wrote this. I deleted the WHOLE almost 2 thousand word chapter I did have for this, and wrote this instead within the hour. I'm so excited for this book you guys! All the love, Emma :)